Knee Recovery After Meniscus Surgery

Knee recovery after meniscus surgery is a process that can take several weeks and depends on the patient’s health and the type of injury suffered. The main purpose of recovery is to restore the functionality of the joint, because the articular cartilage must adapt to the lack of the meniscus.

Knee recovery after meniscus surgery is a particularly important period, especially for athletes, as it will allow them to resume their sports activities without difficulty. In addition, it plays a particularly important role when it comes to recovering muscle tone and strength, which prevents the appearance of complications and new injuries.

It is normal for patients to have some doubts or concerns before starting this stage of treatment. Therefore, in order to clarify all the unknowns, we invite you to read carefully all the information below regarding what it is and when the recovery of the knee should start after the meniscus operation.

Why do meniscus injuries occur?

The meniscus is a fibrous cartilage located between the femur and tibia. It offers flexibility and the ability to move the knee. It helps to stabilize the joint and facilitates the correct distribution of body weight.

The most common condition of the meniscus is caused by back movements or poor support. But the meniscus can also be affected by a degenerative disease that can worsen over time.

What is meniscus surgery?

Knee surgeries have evolved over time. Although this is an open and major operation, arthroscopy is usually used, which is considered to be a “minimally invasive” intervention.

This modern procedure reduces the risk of infection by up to 50% and allows a much faster recovery of the patient. The specialist uses local anesthesia or brandy and makes an incision in the knee. Then he inserts an arthroscope.

The surgical instrument called an arthroscope is the size of a pen and allows the doctor to assess the proportion of damage using a small camera. After fully identifying the situation inside, the doctor will use several surgical instruments to remove or repair the affected portions of the meniscus.

Knee recovery after meniscus surgery: what is its purpose?

Given that the knee is a complex and delicate structure, it is very important for the patient to go through a complete recovery after meniscus surgery. Failure to perform this process of recovery of the knee exposes the joint to the possibility of new injuries, possibly more serious. In general, recovery of the knee after meniscus surgery is a process that aims to:

• Stimulating blood circulation to speed up the recovery process.
• Elimination of joint stiffness that occurs as a side effect of immobilization.
• Prevention of atrophy and muscle weakness affected by inactivity.

When should the recovery of the knee begin after meniscus surgery

Knee recovery after meniscus surgery should begin immediately. In fact, immediately after the surgery it is necessary to perform certain light exercises. These are key factors in restoring knee mobility and functionality.

Knee exercises should begin 24 hours after surgery.

Recovery plan after meniscus surgery

After undergoing surgery, such as arthroscopy, it is necessary to follow a recovery plan for the joint. This complementary treatment must be carried out progressively, depending on the characteristics and evolution of each patient’s condition.

Also, the recovery plan depends on the time required to recover the affected knee. When it comes to an internal meniscus, recovery can take between 3 and 5 weeks. But it can be extended to 7 weeks in the case of an external meniscus.

Care after surgery

The first steps for recovery of the knee after meniscus surgery should be started shortly after the procedure. They aim to reduce inflammation before recovery of joint mobility and involve:

• Keeping your knees up:
• Applying ice to the affected area;
• Use of analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain;
• Using crutches to avoid applying too much pressure to the operated knee.

The recovery process

A large part of the recovery process after the meniscus operation involves performing exercises under the close supervision of a physiotherapy specialist. These activities aim to heal the knee and resume the activities that were interrupted by the appearance of the injury.

When you go through recovery treatment, you need to keep certain things in mind:

• An exercise program must be accompanied by other therapeutic and preventive methods.
• The activities must be adapted to the type of injury and intervention suffered.
• The training routine must go through a series of steps that do not allow the omission of a certain step without first achieving a series of well-established goals. Therefore, each of these stages must be customized according to the age, physical condition and possible pre-existing conditions of the patient.
• It takes several weeks of recovery before the patient can return to intense training. In the first weeks, the patient is not allowed to squat, kneel or kneel.

As mentioned above, the recovery process depends on the condition of each patient. The doctor will determine which exercises and treatments a patient responds best to. But one thing is certain: recovery is much faster after an arthroscopy than after a classic surgery.